Headlight control for automobiles.



J. E. DEMPSEY.

HEADLIGHT CONTROL FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16, 1914.

WITNESSES: INVENTOH W By MBA/5r Patented May 4, 1915.

JAMES E. DEMPSEY, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

HEADLIGHT CONTROL FOB AUTOMOBILES.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1915.

Application filed February 16, 1914. Serial No. 818,878

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs E. DEMrsEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in HeadlightControl forAutomobiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to controllers for the headlights of automobiles.

The object of the invention is the provision of manually controlleddevices whereby the headlights or lamps of an automobile may be turnedin unison with or independently of the leading or front wheels of thevehicle to project the lights from the lamps either in the path overwhich the automobile is to travel or to either side of the same.

The invention consists in the novel construotion and adaptation ofparts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view partly in sideelevation and partly in vertical section of the front end of anautomobile with the near front wheel removed and with my inventionapplied. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with a portionof theautomobile body broken away. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectionalview of the steering devices and the associated parts, such asillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, for regulating the turning of theheadlights. Fig. 4 is a'view similar to Fig. 3 ofa modification of thelight-regulating appliances. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of theheadlights and the connections therefor.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 5 designates the body of anautomobile and 6 the side bars for the under-frame therefor. The frontwheels 7 are journaled upon the usual stub axles 8 which are providedwith arms 9 for connection with a connecting rod 10 so that both wheelsare directed in unison. One of said stub shafts is provided with asecond arm 11 which is connected by a rod 12 with a crank-arm 13provided on the lower end of the steering post 14.

All of the above named parts are or may be of the usual construction.

According to the present invention, the

harps or yokes 15 whichcarry the lamps 16 are provided with shanks 17which are r0- tatably supported in journal boxes 18 secured to therespective side bars 6.

A transversely arranged rod 19 is connected by pins 20 with lugs 21provided on the lamps whereby rotary motion imparted to one of saidlamps will transmit corresponding motion to the other one.

The preferred form of the lamp-controlling devices is shown in Figs. 1,2 and 3 and consists of a sleeve 22 mounted for rotary movements on thesteering post 14 and is provided at its upper end with a hand wheel 23.Adjacent its lower end, said sleeve is provided with a crank-arm 24which is connected by a connecting rod 25 with a crankarm 26 providedupon one of the lamps 16.

By such devices, it is apparent that by turning the sleeve 22 throughthe instrumentality of the hand-wheel 23 the lamps 16 may be turned todirect the light rays thereof in selected directions.

The invention also includes means for coupling the above described lampconnections to the automobile steering devices and which I will nowexplain. A collar 27 is splined to the steering post below said sleeve,and the opposing faces of the sleeve and collar are provided withinter-engaging devices, such as notches 22 and teeth 27 which serve asclutch elements. The collar 27 is provided with a peripheral groove 28to receive studs 29 provided on the branches 30 formed on the end of alever 31.- The lever is fulcrumed intermediate its length to a support32 which is rigidly secured to the car-body 5 and, at the end remotefrom its connection with said collar, f

.27 with the sleeve 22 for manipulating the lights by means of thesteering wheel the operator depresses the tread-plate 34 with his footto accordingly affect said element, whereupon a spring-actuated latch 38(shown only in Fig. 3) engages the treadplate to maintain the latter inits depressed position. To disengage the lamp-controlling devices from-the steering post, the operator first disengages with his foot thelatch 38 from the tread-plate, whereupon the spring 36 asserts itself tocause the withdrawal of the clutch element 27 from the sleeve 22.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 the sleeve 22", like that shown inthe other views, is mounted for rotation on the steering post 14, butinstead of having treadleoperated devices for coupling the sleeve to thepost, I here employ a latch-bolt 39 on the hand-Wheel 23 vof the sleeveto engage in a slot 40 provided in the post. The bolt 39 is housed in acasing 41 and a spring 42 is utilized to normally retain the boltinengagement within the post slot.

As in the aforedescribed embodiment, the sleeve-22 and post 14 arerespectively provided with crank-arms 24 and 13 for the connection, towhich are attached rods having corresponding functions to thoseindicated by 25 and 12 in Figs. 1 and 2.

To'operate the appliances shown'in Fig. 4, latch-bolt 39 is engaged toor disengaged from the steerin g post according to Whether the lamps areto be moved positively with the steering devices or independently of thesame, The lamps, however, would desirably be connected to operate inunison with the steering devices, and the independent control for thelamps used to traverse with light ahead of the vehicle to ascertain-"thebest portions of a road for travel, to avoid an obstacle, dito directthe light-rays to a dis tance ahead on a curved track.

The coupling or disengagement of the independent and steering control isconveniently and rapidly attained and the value of the invention, it isbelieved, will be appreciated by automobile users.

Having described my invention, what I claim, is-

l. A device for controlling headlights,

comprising a steering post, a clutch member splined thereon and capableof reciprocatory movements with relation thereto, a sleeve m'ountedthereon for rotary movements and means whereby said sleeve and clutchmember may be rotated in unison or independently of one another. 1 e

2. In combination with the steering st of an automobile; of a sleevemounted thereon, said sleeve being provided at one end with a hand wheeland at its other end with a plurality of recesses, a clutch membersplined on said steering post and provided witha plurality of teeth, andmeans controlled by the operator for bringing said teeth into engagementwith said recesses, whereby said sleeve and said clutch member may beretated in unison with said steering post.

3. In a device of the class described, a steering post, a sleeve looselymounted thereon, a clutch member splined thereon, means for rotatingsaid sleeve independently of said steering post, and spring" actuatedmeans for reciprocating said clutch member, whereby said sleeve and saidclutch member are made to rotate in unison. v

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with a steeringpost and head lights, of a sleeve loosely mounted thereon, provided witha hand wheel at one end thereof and a plurality of recesses at the otherend thereof, a clutch member splined on said steering post adjacent therecessed end of said sleeve, means connecting said sleeve with saidheadlights for rotating the latter in unison with or independently ofsaid steering post.

5. A control for headlights comprising a steering post having a sleeveloosely mounted thereon, and a clutch member splined thereon, a springactuated tread plate adapted to reciprocate said clutch member into andout of engagement with said loosely mounted sleeve, and meanscooperating with said tread plate for locking said clutch member intoengagement with said loosely mounted sleeve thereby aflording meanswhereby said clutch member and said sleeve are made to operate in unisonwith said steering post.

6. A control for headlights comprising a steering post, a sleeve looselymounted thereon, means positioned on the dash-board of a vehicle adaptedto support said sleeve in proper relation to said steering post, andspring actuated means for locking said loosely mounted sleeve for rotarymovements in unison with said steering post. p

7. In a device of the class described, a steering post, a sleeve and aclutch member mounted thereon and spaced apart, means for rotating saidsleeve independently of said steering post, and means for reciprocatingsaid clutch member, whereby. said sleeve and said clutch member may berotated in unison with said steering post.

Signed at Seattle, Wash, this 3d day of February, 1914.

JAMES E. DEMPSEY. Witnesses:

PIERRE BARNES, Cnon. GODBEN.

